ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council is promoting the importance of ultraviolet (UV)-protective eyewear through the celebration of National Sunglasses Day, taking place Sunday, June 27, 2021. The annual day of recognition reminds consumers that wearing sunglasses is not only fashionable, but also a health necessity to protect the eyes from long- and short-term damage from the sun's UV rays. The Vision Council encourages members and the industry at large to participate in National Sunglasses Day by posting on social media channels using the official hashtags, #SunglassesSelfie and #NationalSunglassesDay, and tagging @TheVisionCouncil on Facebook and Instagram and @OpticalIndustry on Twitter.

The Vision Council has created new downloadable marketing assets, including sample social media graphics and posts, web banners, posters, logos and more. For access to the new materials, visit nationalsunglassesday.com.
 
According to The Vision Council’s 2021 Sports Sunglasses Report, which will be available to download on The Vision Council’s Research Download Center next week, more than half, or 55 percent, of the U.S. adult population wears sunglasses. Other key takeaways from the report, which was conducted in March 2021 and surveyed 4,814 adults over the age of 18 include:

  • Approximately 42 percent of U.S. adults report that they wear plano, or non-prescription, sunglasses, while 13 percent report that they wear prescription sunglasses.
  • 70 percent of adult respondents wear their sunglasses primarily for general use, with 22 percent wearing sunglasses for both specific sporting activities and general use.
  • Gray sunglass lenses were reported as the most popular, with 23 percent of respondents indicating gray as their favorite lens color, followed by 21 percent of respondents who reported brown as their favorite lens color.
  • Mirrored sunglass lenses are growing in popularity, with one-fifth of respondents indicating that their sunglasses feature mirrored lenses.
  • According to the report, black was reported as the most popular sunglass frame color, with 49 percent of respondents indicating black as their favorite frame color, followed by brown/tortoise indicated as a favorite by 15 percent of respondents; silver indicated as a favorite by 12 percent of respondents; and clear indicated as a favorite by 9 percent of respondents.
“As we emerge from the pandemic and consumers are catching up on annual exams they may have skipped during the past year, National Sunglasses Day is a great way for eyecare providers to engage with patients in a positive way about their eye health,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council.  “We’ve created newly branded resources, including shareable social media posts, to make it easy and seamless for eyecare providers to connect with their patients and reinforce the importance of eye health.”
 
The Vision Council encourages eyecare providers to engage their patients in discussions about healthy vision maintenance including the impact of UV eye exposure and the breadth of UV-protective eyewear options that are available. 
 
“After more than a year of being cooped up inside, working and learning virtually, the desire to spend time outside with friends and family and enjoy the sunny weather is stronger than ever,” said Bridgitte Shen Lee, OD, FAAO, FBCLA, FEAOO, and medical adviser to The Vision Council.
 
“With the summer months approaching, it is very important for eyecare professionals to educate their patients on the importance of daily UV protection. We can enjoy sunny days safely by wearing sunglasses to protect our eyes from exposure to harmful UV rays," Shen Lee said.
 
This year, The Vision Council will elevate awareness of the campaign and encourage consumers to get involved through the distribution of a press release over PR Newswire.
 
For more information about the National Sunglasses Day campaign, visit nationalsunglassesday.com. For questions regarding the campaign and to share your company’s efforts to help promote National Sunglasses Day, please contact Hayley Rakus at hrakus@thevisioncouncil.org.